overall this was a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. I enjoyed really the narration. I felt like all of the individual characters each received the conclusion that they deserved. It was very enjoyable and emotionally satisfying.

This was a really compelling and satisfying conclusion to what has been an excellent trilogy. I thought that the plot for this third and final installment built very well through the narrative and found it fascinating to see where our characters found themselves following a two year time jump. The interaction between Rin and Jovis was particularly poignant and I loved the way in which Ranami found the role she was born to. All of the character arcs and plot threads were concluded with aplomb and overall, this was a fabulous way to end the series. I will definitely be picking up whatever Andrea Stewart comes up with next.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

So thrilled to get the conclusion to this series. I didn't want to put the book down, and thanks to the audiobook, I only had to physically put it down--I could still continue to listen to the story throughout my day. A day was all I needed, too, because I finished this story within a single 24 hour period. Thank you to the narrators for bring Jovis, Lin, Mephi, and all of our other characters to life.

The Bone Shard War
The Drowning Empire #3
By Andrea Stewart
Audiobook
Narrated by Natalie Naudus; Feodor Chin; Emily Woo Zeller
Gifted. Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio, Orbit.
Goodreads Rating: 4.12
My Rating: 3.75 stars

As the conclusion to The Drowning Empire series, this book picks up two years after the end of The Bone Shard Empire where Lin is still struggling to manage an empire and Jovis and Mephi are struggling to survive in their new situation with Jovis especially suffering. We get all of the same POV’s from the first two books which allowed us to continue with everyone’s role in the story. I enjoyed the first two books in this series and I was excited to start the third book and finally get answers to some of the open-ended questions from the first two books.

I found the start of this book to be a little slow but that could have been a combination of re-learning the characters and the world Andrea Stewart has created as well as the fact that the book is set two years after the end of the second book. At the start, it also jumps back and forward in time which I don’t necessarily mind but do understand why it would be a turn-off for some readers. By the end of the book, the pace had picked up some but I found the middle and first section to be a little repetitive however the end section of the book made up for it.

I felt like all the characters had an ending that was satisfying and their character development throughout the series was very very good especially Phalue’s, I also enjoyed the impact of trauma on Jovis’s character and how he deals and works with that right to the end of the book!. Although I do feel like Lin had to be dragged kicking and screaming through her growth but in fairness she was dealing with a lot. When we find out why the islands are sinking I had to take a minute before continuing because what a revelation! I do kind of wish that there was more of an explanation or reasoning behind searching for the swords and it is never really resolved. Mephi continues to be the shining star of the whole series and his earnestness just kills me every time.

Ultimately I enjoyed this book and this series overall and I’m quite sad that that’s the end!

This series was a wild ride from start to finish for me. I couldn't wait to get a copy of the last book because after binging the first two I needed to know how this ended. Andrea did an incredible job at wrapping up the series neatly in a bow that both broke my heart and restored it at the same time.

It was an emotional rollercoaster and I truly am so happy I got to read it! The characters, the growth, and the overall story was so perfectly done that I couldn't put the book down until I got right to the end. I was sad it was over, but happy at the same time.

What a lovely read with such a bittersweet ending, definitely worth finishing the series if you've read the other two!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Shard War is the conclusion of the Drowning Empire Trilogy. I picked up the first in the series a year ago on a whim and I was so excited to get my hands on the conclusion. I love the way all three of these novels are written, reminds me a bit of Ellen Hopkins.

One thing I hate is when fantasy series do not know when to end, and they end up getting dragged out. That was not the case with the Drowning Empire. There was a clear and concise ending, which I loved!! I listened to this ARC as an audio book and I thought the plot was great but most importantly there was a great narrator!

I highly recommend any fantasy readers pick up the Drowning Empire Trilogy.

4.75 stars.
A satisfying conclusion to this unique fantasy trilogy. Bone Shard War was action packed with all the plotlines coming together. Questions are answered, secrets are revealed, boundaries were broken. I was gripped from start to finish. There was a lot of character development throughout and the twist!

I listened to this on audio and it was fantastic. The narrators nailed the atmosphere and brought the character to life perfectly. I was completely drawn in.

Memphis is still me favorite even with all the Osslans that appears :)
Thank you to @netgalley and Hachette Audio for an eARC of this book for an honest review.

To provide context for this review, I liked the first Drowning Empire book (though not a full five stars looking back, as with most of my ratings I was too generous at the time), had some issues with the second, and was a bit trepidatious about the third going in as it could make or break the way I feel about the trilogy.

The Bone Shard War is longer than it needs to be, but overalled I enjoyed my time with it and thankfully had all of my outstanding vital questions answered. The worldbuilding stands out as my favorite part of this entire trilogy, even if the molasses slow pace at which it unfolded was at times frustrating. In this installment, I relished catching a few reveals before the characters but not (as in the last) so far ahead of time that I got bored and annoyed waiting for them to catch up.

Our characters all experience a lot of growth both throughout this book and between it and the last, another factor I appreciated. Especially some of our side characters I was pleasantly surprised to see fleshed out further and become more complex/sympathetic. There were certainly times when I wished Linn could hurry up and make up her mind, or Jovis could be a little less stubborn, but in the end I'm happy with how most of our characters changed and where they ended up. Relatedly, I'm pleased to report that this novel didn't fall into the trap of too tragic or too easy an ending, but - for my taste at least - maintained approximately the same tone as the series as a whole, doling out appropriate consequences while leaving readers satisfied.

My primary disappointment with the book is also something I'm glad was attempted at all - the question of a disintegrating and transitioning monarchy was not pushed off to the wayside for the finale as I had begun to fear. At the same time, however, this subject still wasn't explored with as much nuance as I would have hoped, considering how fundamental of a thread it was throughout the trilogy. We got to the turning point (which arguably could have come much sooner, if not for some impressively stubborn thinking, perhaps one of the most realistic parts of the novel), made the vital decision, and then only received a hint at the full outcome. Which, of course, is a common end to books of this genre, but I still wished for a bit more.

It's difficult to satisfactorily review a final book without hinting towards too many spoilers; I'm not sure if I've done a great job. Regardless, I would be remiss though in closing this out without mentioning the stars of the show: Mephi, Thala, and the rest of our faithful ossalen companions. Their presence brought me much joy without them the Drowning Empire would be nothing.

In the end, I'm very glad to have picked up The Bone Shard Daughter a few years ago and to have seen the trilogy all the way through. Andrea Stewart's writing and pacing - though still not a perfect match for me - has become much more polished throughout this series, and I'm excited to see what she'll publish next.

An amazing conclusion to an amazing series! The compelling characters, intertwining conflicts, and high stakes (literally entire islands sinking beneath the sea!!) kept my heart in my mouth the whole time!

Overall, not a bad read. I feel this book is as exciting and captivating as the rest of the trilogy. The plot is paced well and held my attention. The narrator did a best job as well.

Mephi is the saving grace of this book, and must be protected at all costs. Thrana too.

In a nutshell, power hungry people throw waves back and forth at each other while they fight over some old white swords. ‘Islands’ sink. Lots of tantrums. No HEA.

I have to admit, I was disappointed by the conclusion of this series. Where's my HEA?! I needed it after everything these characters were put through. I adored book one and still think this series has one of the most unique magic systems! I also love the multi-POVs, but like book two, the pacing felt quite slow until the final few chapters. I also thought multiple times there were so many convenient 'fails'. Like can't any of these characters catch a break?! A prime example was Jovis getting caught again after the big island sunk...you're in a massive sea of thousands and thousands of escaping citizens and he just happens to find Jovis and take him captive yet again?!

Ragan is the absolute worst, and he felt like a five-year-old having a meltdown. He makes a great villain because you loathe him so much. I was SO HERE for the Nisong redemption arc.

Overall, it's not my favorite in the series, but i'm a sucker for talking magical creatures, so I'd still recommend.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Bone Shard War is the conclusion of the Drowning Empire Trilogy. I listened to all three in audiobook form. What I liked about all three books is the way the author writes- it's almost poetic. Full, beautiful descriptions without going overboard. I would definitely read another series by this author. I hope she writes another one again soon.

There is a lot of action and a lot going on in this book with a definite conclusion at the end of the book. I liked that this felt like an actual ending instead of leaving a lot of threads left hanging and questions. I appreciate it when a series ends and the author ties up everything possible in a bow for us.

I didn't like the plot of this one as much as I liked the other two. I won't give any spoilers but I kept thinking "Will they EVER get a break?" One event in the book that should have been a big deal was quite anti-climactic in my opinion. It just sort of happened and then the story moved on.

The audiobook narrators in this series are FANTASTIC!!! In rating any book, my feelings about the audiobook narrators does not affect how I rate the book or writing style but I do like to comment on the narrators. All of the narrators throughout the books (there were at least 3- maybe there was one or two more that only were in some of the first two books? I'm not sure.) The reading was flawless and quite exceptional. In fact, I was scrolling through Instagram the other day and heard an audiobook post an author had posted with a clip of their audiobook and I knew immediately it was one of the female narrators from this book. Very, very good.

Thrana, Mephi, and Lohzi were 100% the best part of this book for me. Like I liked the main characters and I really did love the ending of this, but some of it felt repetitive.

As a whole, I think this trilogy is really well balanced and interesting and definitely held my attention while I was listening. I do probably think that some of it felt repetitive to me because I listened to all three books within the span of less than a week.

I’ve listened to each book in the Drowning Empire trilogy as I’ve gone through it. And I am so thankful to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an ALC!

The Bone Shard War is an epic conclusion to the Drowning Empire trilogy with high stakes and heartbreaks. We continue to watch our main characters struggle and grow as they try to put back together a fractured kingdom.

What I love about the complexity of these characters (both the protagonist and antagonist types) is that everyone has a stake in keeping this empire together, but they all have their own motives, agendas, or ideals on who the right person is to rule and make those decisions. Ultimately, it’s their pride that’s their downfall, and the prejudice they hold against different people groups or different families that keeps them from working together to prevent this empire from breaking apart…literally. This is the ultimate challenge to be overcome in this finale.

This trilogy has become one of my favorite adult fantasy series. I’m obsessed with these characters, the story, the politics, the lore, the magic system, the ossalen, the world building….all of it. I will always recommend this one. The audiobooks, too!

I am one of the few readers who enjoyed but was not obsessed with the first two installments. I found the magic system to be unique and the plot intriguing. I also enjoyed following many of the characters. My overall issue with Bone Shard War was that I found it incredibly repetitive. I honestly think that Bone Shard Emp. and Bone Shard War could have been merged and condensed into a better-executed duology.

That being said, I was pleased with how the story ended and liked how everything wrapped up.

I enjoy Stewart's writing and look forward to whatever she writes next.

I listened to the audio and found that the narrators do a fantastic job throughout the series.

I loved this series, however the third book was such a disappointment for me and has ruined my opinion of the series overall.

This book begins sometime after the bone shard Emperor and all of the characters are not where they were left in the 2nd book so it took a while to piece together what happened. The Book opens and we find that a lot has changed with these characters and none of them for the better. Lin believes that Jovis is dead, and it is only later we see why and reads like a confusing muddle of information. The whole beginning of the book seems very disjointed and Jovis' journey just seems like such a step back and is very much downplayed as a character compared to book 2. Considering that Jovis and Mephi were one of the best things about this series it made the book less interesting.

The main objective in the book was the discovery of the Alanga swords and a lot of time was spent developing the hunt for these swords, only for it to not make a huge impact in the overall story. Granted it was an important point, but why hunt for the swords in the first place only for one single man in possession of one to matter? The whole thing was rather repetitive.

Lin's Character seemed to do a massive 180 in the last part of the book, which I found rather bizarre considering that she spends book 2 and most of book 3 fighting for what she believes in, only to roll over in the blink of an eye? I did enjoy some of the revelations in this book such as the information we receive about the Alanga, ossalen and the islands. That was such a great plot point! The ending whilst not satisfactory in terms of character development, I did enjoy as it was definitely unique.

"The Bone Shard War" is an engaging and immersive audiobook that captures the imagination of the listener from start to finish. Written by Andrea Stewart and narrated by Feodor Chin and Natalie Naudus, this audiobook is a masterpiece of world-building, character development, and storytelling.

The novel is set in an archipelago of islands ruled by an Emperor who uses bone magic to control the population. The story follows several characters, including Lin, the Emperor's daughter who is trying to uncover the truth about her father and the secrets of bone magic, Jovis, a smuggler searching for his lost wife, and Phalue, a governor's daughter who struggles with the morality of her privilege.

The narrators do an excellent job of bringing the story and characters to life. Feodor Chin portrays the male characters with depth and nuance, while Natalie Naudus captures the essence of the female characters with her expressive voice. The audiobook's pacing is just right, with the narrators able to convey the tension and suspense of the story without ever making it feel rushed.

One of the strengths of "The Bone Shard War" is its intricate world-building. Andrea Stewart has created a unique and fascinating world filled with magic, intrigue, and political machinations. The characters are also well-developed, with their motivations and struggles laid out in a way that makes them feel real and relatable.

Overall, "The Bone Shard War" is a must-listen audiobook for anyone who loves epic fantasy. It's a thrilling and thought-provoking tale that explores themes of power, identity, and family.

2.5

From the first book, I was less enthralled in this series than many of the reviewers I follow but I was intrigued enough in the world to see it through to the end. Unfortunately, I think for me the first book was the strongest. I do seem to have an unpopular opinion though.

This world is really fascinating, and I liked seeing the world expand with each book; however, I think parts of the sequels felt a little long, and I think that hindered my enjoyment because it got to the point where I didn’t feel like this book earned its length. There was a romantic relationship introduced in Book 2 that I didn’t really like (though it did start to grow on me in this book) and overall I felt like each of the characters had some sort of plot point where it took them too long to realize something that would move the plot forward. For example, <spoiler>why did it take Jovis so long to figure out a work around of the commands he was given?</spoiler>

That being said, I did overall like the arcs of each of the characters and the arc of the story, and I would recommend giving this series (or at least the first book) a shot if it sounds interesting to you!

I listened to this series on audio, which is narrated by Natalie Naudus, Feodor Chin, and Emily Woo Zeller, and I appreciate that each POV has their own narrator and liked the voices they used for each of them.

The Bone Shard War is the final book in Andrea Stewart's The Drowning Empire series. I saw the audio arc and grabbed it immediately. I re-read the first two books via audio and getting the audio arc for the third one was really good. I loved the audio narrators. Escpielly Jovis' actor was amazing. I really enjoyed it a lot. The story starts with a two-year jump. I really loved the unique bone shard magic and the worldbuilding is amazing too. In this book, we continue to explore the world. Lin travels to different islands to search for the Alanga swords. The characters were very well written and they changed throughout the story. I loved reading each storyline. But Jovis still my favorite character to read. Apart from Mephi, I adore him since the first book. I loved the depth and complexity that Andrea Stewart created. The only negative thing is I liked to learn more things from this world. Some things were left unanswered. I liked to learn more about Dion and Khalute or Alanga's powers were really interesting but there was little information throughout the book. Maybe Andrea Steward write another novel about this amazing world. Overall, it was an amazing series to read. If you like unique magic and cute animal companions you should definitely check out this series.
NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an ARC in return for my honest review.

What a wonderful ending to this epic fantasy series.
The magic system
The lore
It’s everything id want in a high fantasy sea orientated series.
There was some parts I wasn’t a huge fan of but Andrea is a new author so I am going to assume her future work will be even better written and edited. Overall the series concluded to a high point, 4 stars. Even with the multiple POV, they all have their conclusive ending and wasn’t ignored. Writing the trauma of PTSD of what Jovis went through was well done, it was action packed but they still made time to help each other.